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Thursday, 20 November 2014

The ramparts of Warsaw 1943-44

1st August 1944. Nearly two months after the Allies land in Normandy, the young people of Poland rise up in Warsaw to free themselves from the Nazi yoke. Betrayed by Stalin who is encamped, weapons at hand, on the far bank of the Vistula, the Polish Resistance one of the strongest in Europe with its Home Army the Armia Krajowa faces the world’s most powerful army alone.This fierce armed, civil, intellectual and moral resistance will leave its mark on the collective Polish conscience and will later influence the form of resistance that the Poles will introduce in the face of Soviet communism. “We must fight, fight in every way we can, but find another way of doing it. No more bloodbaths!” said the leaders of the Warsaw Uprising in their testament.

Three young Europeans, in a role of 'citizens reporters',Alexandra (France), Maria (Poland) and Roman (Germany), meet in Warsaw to enquire into these events; they meet witnesses who took part in the Warsaw Uprising or lived in the ghetto. Beneath their white hair we can recognise the men and women who formed the living ramparts of freedom in the face of Nazism. They were between 12 and 20 years old at the time and their names are Janka, Dora, Bogina, Witold, Krystyna, Jerzy…

See the full film in 8 languages: http://www.at-home-in-europe.tv/blog/?page_id=584MEDIEL,as a DARE member and European production company, is bringing to you documentary films that can open and produce new understandings to how we live society today. Our focus is to depict the voices of the past, present and future, with the common denominator of openness – consciousness of our beings in the meeting with the other and ourselves. “The ramparts of Warsaw” is a follow up to “Ich Bin” and “the Convoy-Etty hillesum”- 2 films dealing with the memory.

DARE, Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe, is a Europe-wide network that aims to promote education for democratic citizenship and human rights. The network currently consists of 38 member organisations from 24 countries in Europe.